US20080065496A1 - Methods and Apparatus for Managing RFID and Other Data - Google Patents
Methods and Apparatus for Managing RFID and Other Data Download PDFInfo
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- US20080065496A1 US20080065496A1 US11/468,025 US46802506A US2008065496A1 US 20080065496 A1 US20080065496 A1 US 20080065496A1 US 46802506 A US46802506 A US 46802506A US 2008065496 A1 US2008065496 A1 US 2008065496A1
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- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07G—REGISTERING THE RECEIPT OF CASH, VALUABLES, OR TOKENS
- G07G1/00—Cash registers
- G07G1/0036—Checkout procedures
- G07G1/0045—Checkout procedures with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
- G06Q20/08—Payment architectures
- G06Q20/20—Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
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- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07G—REGISTERING THE RECEIPT OF CASH, VALUABLES, OR TOKENS
- G07G1/00—Cash registers
- G07G1/0036—Checkout procedures
- G07G1/0045—Checkout procedures with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
- G07G1/009—Checkout procedures with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader the reader being an RFID reader
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to improvements to management of data received from data input and communication devices. More particularly, the invention relates to improved systems and techniques for managing data communications from a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader and other data input and communication devices, and using a common intermediary, such as the RFID reader, to facilitate communication between the data communication devices and a data processing facility making use of the data.
- RFID radio frequency identification
- Radio frequency devices are frequently used in transactions involving goods. They provide what can be a very large amount of information to identify goods of interest, for example, goods involved in a retail checkout transaction, or goods being managed in a warehouse. Frequently, in a transaction involving goods, such as a retail checkout transaction, or a search for or identification of goods undertaken by an inventory control system, RFID information relating to the goods is received along with information from other input devices. Such devices may include bar code scanners, data terminals, financial information capturing devices such as credit card or debit card readers, and other devices used to capture or receive whatever additional data may be needed to conduct the transaction. In many cases, data from all these devices is provided to a data processing facility, for example, a checkout transaction terminal.
- RFID technology is presently undergoing a period of rapid change and development.
- Other data input devices also continue to undergo development and improvement.
- Systems that use data collected by the data input devices are typically relatively mature.
- new or improved data input devices are developed, for example, improved RFID readers or readers adapted to new or improved RFID technologies, a significant portion of the delay between development and implantation of the devices arises from the need to adapt software to allow interaction between the device and a data processing station receiving data from the device.
- implementation of a new data input device frequently requires adaptation of software for the data processing station, in order to allow the data processing station to interact with the data input device.
- An RFID reader receives information by communicating with RFID tags.
- An RFID tag is an object that can be attached to or embedded or incorporated in a product or other object or entity, and communicate information by radio transmission.
- An RFID tag communicates with an RFID reader in order to provide the reader with identification and other information stored in the tag.
- RFID tags may come in numerous different forms. For example, an RFID tag may be affixed to products, may be embedded in a key fob or identification card or badge, or may come in any number of alternative forms.
- RFID readers typically operate by requesting and receiving data at a very high rate.
- a reader may interrogate RFID tags within range at a rate on the order of hundreds of times per second, and receive and process responses from devices at a similar rate.
- the reader analyzes the responses to the interrogations in order to identify responses coming from unique RFID tags. For example, erroneous or incomplete reception of duplicate responses from one device may lead to the interpretation of the responses as coming from different tags.
- a reader may perform error correction and other processing on each response in order to insure that responses from devices are properly interpreted.
- Such a capability which is inherent in the operation of many RFID readers, means that RFID readers typically have significant processing power.
- the processing power of an RFID reader is typically more than sufficient to carry out its RFID communication functions and to receive and process data from other data capture devices used in a transaction and to manage communication between the RFID reader and one or more RFID tags, as well as additional data capture devices and, the other data capture devices, and the a point of sale terminal used to conduct the transaction.
- sufficient processing power is available to conduct multiple simultaneous transactions using a plurality of combinations of point of sale terminals, RFID readers, and additional data capture devices.
- an RFID reader suitably includes a controller operating under the direction of controller software providing a centralized communications interface for the RFID reader and various input devices that may be used with the reader.
- the communications interface includes a number of individual modules for different input devices, with a variety of different modules and a number of different interface ports provided so as to support the use of a number of different combinations of input devices, with devices being able to be added and removed as desired without signification modification or reprogramming of the controller.
- the controller software mediates communication between the various input devices and a data station.
- the controller software is suitably implemented in layers, so that a change to or substitution of a data input device, or use of the RFID reader operated by the controller with a different data station, can be achieved with relatively simple software changes that require adaptation only for the changed device, and not for the devices that are continued in use.
- a substantial proportion of the processing needed to prepare a transaction entry is conducted by the controller software, with the data station simply receiving data coordinated and formatted by the controller software.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a point of sale terminal using an RFID reader coordinating transactions according to an aspect of the present invention
- FIG. 2 illustrates additional details of the RFID reader used by the point of sale terminal of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 illustrates a system including a plurality point of sale stations using RFID readers according to an aspect of the present invention
- FIG. 4 illustrates a warehouse control system using an RFID reader coordinating transactions according to an aspect of the present invention
- FIG. 5 illustrates a process of data gathering and coordination according to an aspect of the present invention.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a retail checkout station 100 operating according to an aspect of the present invention.
- the checkout station 100 includes a point of sale terminal 102 , suitably communicating with a central database 104 storing information and providing services needed to manage a transaction, such as price and inventory information.
- the point of sale terminal 102 suitably communicates with the database 104 over a communication system such as a local area network 106 .
- the checkout station 100 also may suitably include a plurality of data input and communication devices. These devices may include a radio frequency identification (RFID) communication device, herein referred to as an RFID reader 108 , as well as a variety of other data input and communication devices.
- RFID radio frequency identification
- the devices include a bar code scanner 110 , a security tag deactivator 1112 , and a payment processing interface 114 .
- the RFID reader 108 communicates with RFID tags in order to conduct transactions.
- the RFID reader 108 has significant processing power, enabling it to process the large amounts of data generated by typical RFID communication.
- An RFID reader typically engages in many interrogations of RFID tags within range, and receives many responses from these tags.
- the interrogations and responses may occur at a rate on the order of hundreds of times per second, generating large volumes of data to be processed and analyzed.
- the reader 108 operates under the control of a reader controller 116 .
- the processing needed to carry out coordination between data input and communication devices such as the devices 110 , 112 , and 114 , and the terminal 102 , represents a negligible addition to the processing needed to carry out RFID communication. Therefore, the processing hardware implemented in the controller 116 can be expected to be sufficient to carry out RFID communication as well as any additional data coordination and communication functions needed to perform retail transactions at the station 100 . Specific hardware and software implementing the controller 116 is described in greater detail below.
- a user makes an appropriate input at the point of sale terminal 102 , suitably using a user interface 118 .
- the user interface 118 suitably includes a keypad 120 and display 122 .
- the display 122 may be a touchscreen.
- a transaction includes a series of data entries, an indication that the data entries are completed, computation and presentation of a total, processing of payment, and closing of the transaction.
- the point of sale terminal 102 sends an appropriate indication to the reader 108 .
- the reader controller 116 communicates with the various input devices in order to receive information.
- the reader controller 116 coordinates the information received and builds a transaction entry, which is then furnished to the terminal 102 .
- the terminal 102 adds the entry to a transaction, acknowledges the transaction entry, and awaits further data, such as user inputs or additional data entries from the reader 108 .
- a reader such as the reader 108
- the terminal 102 sends a signal to the reader 108 that it is awaiting data entry, and the reader controller 116 receives and coordinates incoming data from various devices. For example, suppose that a customer presents three identical shirts 124 A- 124 C, bearing RFID tags 126 A- 126 C, respectively.
- Each RFID tag returns RFID information in response to an interrogation.
- This RFID information suitably includes a unique RFID identifier, and may also include relatively comprehensive product information, including descriptive information and a product identifier that can be used to retrieve stored product information, such as price information, and can also be correlated with product identifiers taken from other data input devices.
- the RFID information returned by each of the RFID tags 126 A- 126 C may include a universal product code (UPC) corresponding to the code appearing on a bar coded tag on the shirt.
- UPC universal product code
- the reader 108 reads whatever tags are within range, and may therefore inadvertently identify tags that are not being presented at the station 100 .
- the shirts 124 A- 124 C also include bar codes 128 A- 128 C, encoding the UPC information associated with each of the shirts.
- the controller 116 correlates the information received from the RFID tags against bar code information scanned and decoded by the bar code scanner 110 .
- the controller 116 receives the information from the RFID tags 126 A- 126 C, establishes that three products with unique RFID codes have been presented, and identifies the UPC codes associated with the RFID codes.
- the controller 116 may then issue a request for a user to scan the products, suitably identifying the products by name or description. This request may be issued to the point of sale terminal 102 for presentation to a user. Alternatively, the controller 116 may simply wait for the products to be scanned during the normal course of the transaction, with additional products potentially being detected and scanned before scanning of all of the shirts 124 A- 124 C is completed.
- the controller 116 receives the information from the bar code scanner 110 and correlates the universal product code information received from the bar code against that received from the RFID tags.
- the controller 116 establishes that the UPC information of interest appears on as many bar codes as on RFID tags, and accepts the products as having been presented for entry into the transaction. If matching occurrences of bar codes or other data entries corresponding to the RFID information are not received, the controller suitably issues an alert to the point of sale terminal 102 for presentation to a user.
- Such an alert may suitably be issued only when transaction entries have been completed, because RFID information for products may be received as soon as the products are brought within range of the reader 108 , but data from other sources, such as the bar code reader 110 , may be received at any time during the transaction.
- the controller 116 Once the controller 116 has established that the products have been properly presented, it provides the information taken from the RFID tags to the point of sale terminal 102 to prepare a transaction entry.
- the entry may suitably include product identifier and description information, as well as timestamp information and synchronization codes.
- the point of sale terminal 102 is assured of the reliability of the information when it is received, and uses the information to perform whatever additional functions are necessary. For example, the point of sale terminal 102 may perform price lookups by consulting the server 102 in order to retrieve price data to complete the transaction.
- the controller 116 may use the RFID identifier or product code to retrieve product information, for example, from a product database 130 hosted on the server 102 .
- the controller 116 may retrieve price information if desired, and may also use the RFID identifier for a product to look up product information.
- the RFID tag affixed to a product may simply include an identifier that can be used as an index to retrieve product information. In such cases, the controller 116 retrieves the needed information and uses it to prepare the transaction entry.
- the controller 116 may use additional information beyond product information. Such information includes rules for treatment of transactions. For example, a customer may be entitled to one free item with the purchase of a specified quantity. In the case of the shirts presented here, a customer may be entitled to receive one shirt free with the purchase of two.
- the controller 116 is able to consult a set of rules, that may be conveniently stored in a rules database 132 hosted on the server 104 , and evaluate a transaction entry in light of the rules. In many cases, rules may affect multiple transaction entries considered together.
- the controller 116 may suitably operate so as to send the proper information to the terminal 102 based on the transaction as a whole. That is, once all transaction entries have been completed, the controller 116 may evaluate the transaction based on promotional rules and identify product combinations meeting conditions set by the rules. The controller 116 identifies and evaluates the product combinations and determines whether or not promotions are applicable, and provides to the terminal 102 updated transaction information based on the identified product combinations. The controller 116 is also capable of sending updated transaction information to the terminal 102 as the transaction proceeds and without waiting for all transaction entries to be completed, as the conditions established by one rule or another are satisfied. Such operation by the controller 116 simplifies the programming needed for the terminal 102 or a similar point of sale system, because the controller 116 performs the analysis itself and transfers the information based on the result of the analysis to the terminal 102 .
- the RFID information from the tags 126 A- 126 C may be read at the beginning of the transaction, but the bar codes 128 A- 128 C may not all be scanned at the beginning of the transaction. Instead, it may happen that the bar codes 128 A and 128 B are scanned, then a bar code 132 affixed to a necktie 134 eligible for a discount is scanned, and information for the necktie entered into the transaction. As the transaction continues, the bar code 128 C may be scanned.
- the controller 116 on reviewing the transaction entries that have been made, will determine that the conditions for the free shirt and the discount on the necktie purchase have been met, and will update the transaction entries accordingly.
- the reader 108 also communicates with the security tag deactivator 112 , and can control the operation of the security tag deactivator 112 .
- the reader 108 is able to sense the presence of RFID tags in its vicinity, and therefore can detect the presence of products at the station 100 .
- the reader 108 can also determine if a transaction entry has been created corresponding to a product, and can inhibit the security tag deactivator 112 from operating if an attempt is made to deactivate a security tag for a product if a transaction entry has not been prepared corresponding to that product.
- the point of sale terminal 102 may suitably present a total to the user and present a request for payment.
- payment is processed using the payment processing interface 114 .
- the terminal 102 communicates an instruction to the reader 108 to process the payment, and the reader 108 controls the payment processing interface 114 and receives appropriate data from the payment processing interface 114 .
- the payment processing interface 114 may be used to read the credit card and capture a customer signature.
- the reader controller 116 may either validate the credit card, for example, by communicating with the server 104 to transmit a validation request to a remote credit card processing center, or may alternatively pass the credit card and signature information to the point of sale terminal for processing.
- the point of sale terminal 102 suitably prepares an itemized receipt and communicates with the server 104 to make appropriate transaction entries and inventory updates.
- identification devices may be used at station 100 , in conjunction with the reader 108 .
- various kinds of identification devices may be used, such as fingerprint or palm readers, iris or retinal readers, and other similar devices.
- Other examples of devices that may be used are inventory control devices, product recognition devices, such as camera based optical recognition units, and any number of data input and communication devices that may be used in such applications.
- One additional category of devices for which communication may be particularly advantageous is cellular telephones and similar devices increasingly used by consumers for communication and management of transactions and personal information.
- a cellular telephone or other device may be used by a consumer to store identification information to be used to tender payment for a transaction.
- the stored information may be transferred to a compatible device without a need for the user to manually enter the information at the time of transfer.
- a compatible device such devices are known in the art and are coming into increasing use, and the reader 108 may advantageously be equipped and programmed for communication with such a device.
- the reader 100 is suitably adapted to accommodate any number of devices, including software supporting a wide variety of optional devices, with standard connection interfaces.
- software for the controller 116 may suitably be constructed so as to accommodate new or updated devices with relatively simple adaptations.
- station 100 Only one point of sale station 100 is illustrated here, but it will be recognized that multiple stations such as the station 100 may be employed in a system using such stations, with RFID readers such as the reader 108 being used at each station to communicate with RFID tags in the vicinity of the station and to receive and coordinate data from other data input devices in use at the station.
- RFID readers such as the reader 108 being used at each station to communicate with RFID tags in the vicinity of the station and to receive and coordinate data from other data input devices in use at the station.
- FIG. 2 illustrates additional details of the RFID reader 108 according to an aspect of the present invention.
- the reader 108 includes an RFID communication unit 202 .
- the RFID communication unit 202 includes a transceiver 204 , including a transmitter 206 and a receiver 208 .
- the RFID communication unit 202 also includes a downconversion unit 210 , and an analog to digital converter 212 .
- the components of the RFID communication unit 202 operate as known in the art to receive and digitize signals from RFID tags.
- the reader 108 also includes the controller 116 .
- the controller 116 includes a processor 214 , high speed memory 216 and long term memory 218 .
- the components of the controller 116 communicate with one another and with the RFID communication unit 202 over a bus 220 .
- the reader 108 also includes a number of data ports 222 A- 222 E, linked with the bus 220 and providing communication with data input devices that may be used with the reader 108 , such as the devices 110 , 112 , and 114 , as well as the point of sale terminal 202 , or other devices suitable for any suitable application consistent with the present invention.
- the processor 212 , high speed memory 214 and long term memory 216 are typical of those used in RFID readers, and provide sufficient processing power to manage the communication by the reader 108 and to process the data collected by, the reader 108 .
- the reader 108 communicates with RFID tags by transmitting a carrier signal and receiving responses from devices within range.
- the carrier signal is transmitted, and responses received, at a rate on the order of hundreds of times per second, and the controller receives and interprets this data to identify and receive information from devices from which responses are received.
- the controller 116 operates under the control of various software modules, suitably hosted on the long term storage 216 and transferred to high speed memory 214 for execution by the processor 212 as needed.
- the software modules suitably include device interface modules 240 A- 240 D, a data coordination module 242 , and a data station interface module 244 .
- the module 240 A is an RFID reader interface and control module
- the module 240 B is a bar code scanner interface module
- the module 240 C is a security tag deactivation module
- the module 240 D is a payment processing interface module.
- the modules 240 A- 240 D, the module 242 , and the module 244 may be implemented so as to essentially form layers, so that a change affecting one layer can be accommodated with changes only to the affected layer. For example, if such an arrangement is used, and if the RFID reader 108 is used with the point of sale terminal 102 , the bar code scanner 110 , the security tag deactivator 112 , and the payment processing interface 114 , and the bar code scanner 110 is replaced with an improved model, the module 240 B may be changed without any need to change the other modules.
- the module 242 suitably mediates data and communication received from the modules 240 A- 240 C and provides the data to the module 244 .
- the module 244 in turn suitably supplies data and communication in a format adapted for a data station such as the point of sale terminal 102 . If a new terminal is substituted for the terminal 102 , the module 244 can be changed to accommodate it, but the other modules do not need to be changed in order to accommodate the new terminal.
- FIG. 3 illustrates retail transaction processing system 300 , implementing using a plurality of RFID readers 302 A- 302 C according to an aspect of the present invention.
- the readers 302 A- 302 C are operated in connection with retail checkout stations 304 A- 304 C, respectively.
- the checkout stations 304 A- 304 C include point of sale terminals 306 A- 306 C, respectively, with each of the stations 304 A- 304 C including various additional data entry devices communicating with the reader used by the station.
- the stations 304 A- 304 C may suitably include scanners 308 A- 308 C, security tag deactivators 310 A- 310 C, and credit/debit card readers 312 A- 312 C, respectively.
- the readers 302 A- 302 C and checkout stations 304 A- 304 C may suitably operate in way similar to those discussed above in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 .
- the use of a plurality of readers such as the readers 304 A- 304 C allows for cooperative operation between readers. For example, if the reader 302 A is experiencing a high workload and the reader 302 C is experiencing a low workload, a portion of the processing load of the reader 304 A may be passed to the reader 302 C.
- the readers 302 A- 302 C may suitably communicate with a central server 314 , which provides access to information, such as a database 316 and a rules table 318 .
- the server 314 may also suitably host a reader control module 320 .
- the reader control module 320 may receive workload information from the various readers 302 A- 302 C and manage workload distribution between readers when needed. Alternatively, the readers 302 A- 302 C may communicate between themselves and manage cooperative sharing of workload without using a reader control module 320 as an intermediary.
- FIG. 4 illustrates a warehouse control system 400 implemented using a plurality of RFID readers 402 A- 402 C according to an aspect of the present invention.
- the system 400 controls goods stored in, and transported into and out of, a warehouse 403 .
- the readers 402 A and 402 B are placed at doors 404 A and 404 B, and the reader 402 C is a mobile reader mounted on a forklift 406 . All of the readers communicate with a warehouse management server 408 .
- the readers 402 A and 402 B may receive information from a plurality of different sources and correlate the information in order to perform needed operations. For example, the reader 402 A may operate to detect RFID tags affixed to goods brought within the vicinity of the door 404 A.
- the reader 402 A may also receive data from authentication devices, such as an identification card reader 410 , a keypad 412 , and a fingerprint reader 414 .
- the reader 402 A detects an RFID tag 415 affixed to a container 416 containing goods stored in the warehouse.
- the reader 402 A suitably examines a door control interface for the door 404 A in order to make sure that the door 404 A is closed, and makes sure that the door 404 A is armed so that an alert will be issued, such as by sounding an alarm, if the door 404 A is opened before the door 404 A is disarmed.
- the reader 402 A communicates with warehouse management server 408 to determine if the container 416 is authorized for removal.
- the reader 402 A also receives data from devices such as the identification card reader 410 and either the keypad 412 or the fingerprint reader 414 to identify an employee accompanying the container 416 and to authenticate the identity of the employee.
- the reader 402 A may also operate an entry and exit reporting station 418 to receive an input from an employee indicating that the container 416 is being removed from the warehouse 403 .
- the reader 402 A then disarms the door 404 A and prepares a report for the server 408 , identifying the container 416 , indicating the time of removal and the door 404 A through which the container 416 was removed, and identifying the employee reporting removal of the goods.
- the reader 402 A receives and correlates data from a number of disparate data input devices and prepares a single report for the server 408 .
- the readers used in the system 400 may be designed to share workload, with management of such sharing being accomplished through direct communication between the readers, or through an intermediary, such as the server 408 .
- FIG. 5 illustrates a process 500 of receiving, correlation, and management of data according to an aspect of the present invention.
- RFID tag information is received by an RFID reader from one or more RFID tags within range.
- the reader may be one of a plurality of readers used in an installation.
- the tag information suitably includes an RFID tag identifier for each device, and may also include additional information, such as descriptive and identifying information for an entity with which each device is associated.
- the entity may include, for example, a product to which an RFID tag is affixed, or an employee holding an RFID identification card.
- the tag information is used to construct an information element identifying the entity with which the device is associated. Construction of the information element may be performed by using the RFID identifier to retrieve associated information, by using descriptive and identifying information stored in and received from the RFID identifier, or both.
- information from other data input devices is received and correlated with the information received from the RFID tag.
- the information may be information in another form for a product bearing an RFID tag, such as a bar code also affixed to the product, so that scanning of the bar code establishes that a product whose RFID tag is detected is present at a particular point of sale station for a transaction using that station.
- the information may be identifying information for an employee authorized to transport goods whose presence has been detected.
- appropriate data entries are prepared and transferred to a recipient data processing device.
- additional data inputs are received and actions taken by the RFID reader in order to manage transactions and events.
- an RFID reader may receive inputs from a credit card reader in order to process payment for a transaction, and may update sales and inventory information on a server.
- an RFID reader may receive an exit report for the removal of goods, disarm an exit door, and update an exit log and an inventory file for a warehouse.
- step 512 whenever the RFID reader is experiencing an excessive workload and unused processing capacity is available at other readers, workload redistribution is performed in order to balance the workload across the readers.
- step 514 when changes are made to existing data input devices with which an RFID reader communicates are made, or new data input devices are added for communicating to a reader, appropriate software changes are made to software modules managing the reader's communication with the data input devices.
- step 516 when the reader is used with a new or changed data station, for example, when a data station is upgraded, a software module mediating communication between the reader and the data station is modified or replaced, as needed.
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates generally to improvements to management of data received from data input and communication devices. More particularly, the invention relates to improved systems and techniques for managing data communications from a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader and other data input and communication devices, and using a common intermediary, such as the RFID reader, to facilitate communication between the data communication devices and a data processing facility making use of the data.
- Radio frequency devices are frequently used in transactions involving goods. They provide what can be a very large amount of information to identify goods of interest, for example, goods involved in a retail checkout transaction, or goods being managed in a warehouse. Frequently, in a transaction involving goods, such as a retail checkout transaction, or a search for or identification of goods undertaken by an inventory control system, RFID information relating to the goods is received along with information from other input devices. Such devices may include bar code scanners, data terminals, financial information capturing devices such as credit card or debit card readers, and other devices used to capture or receive whatever additional data may be needed to conduct the transaction. In many cases, data from all these devices is provided to a data processing facility, for example, a checkout transaction terminal.
- RFID technology is presently undergoing a period of rapid change and development. Other data input devices also continue to undergo development and improvement. Systems that use data collected by the data input devices are typically relatively mature. When new or improved data input devices are developed, for example, improved RFID readers or readers adapted to new or improved RFID technologies, a significant portion of the delay between development and implantation of the devices arises from the need to adapt software to allow interaction between the device and a data processing station receiving data from the device. In prior art applications, implementation of a new data input device frequently requires adaptation of software for the data processing station, in order to allow the data processing station to interact with the data input device.
- An RFID reader receives information by communicating with RFID tags. An RFID tag is an object that can be attached to or embedded or incorporated in a product or other object or entity, and communicate information by radio transmission. An RFID tag communicates with an RFID reader in order to provide the reader with identification and other information stored in the tag. RFID tags may come in numerous different forms. For example, an RFID tag may be affixed to products, may be embedded in a key fob or identification card or badge, or may come in any number of alternative forms.
- RFID readers typically operate by requesting and receiving data at a very high rate. A reader may interrogate RFID tags within range at a rate on the order of hundreds of times per second, and receive and process responses from devices at a similar rate. The reader analyzes the responses to the interrogations in order to identify responses coming from unique RFID tags. For example, erroneous or incomplete reception of duplicate responses from one device may lead to the interpretation of the responses as coming from different tags. In order to avoid such possibilities, a reader may perform error correction and other processing on each response in order to insure that responses from devices are properly interpreted. Such a capability, which is inherent in the operation of many RFID readers, means that RFID readers typically have significant processing power. The processing power of an RFID reader is typically more than sufficient to carry out its RFID communication functions and to receive and process data from other data capture devices used in a transaction and to manage communication between the RFID reader and one or more RFID tags, as well as additional data capture devices and, the other data capture devices, and the a point of sale terminal used to conduct the transaction. Typically, sufficient processing power is available to conduct multiple simultaneous transactions using a plurality of combinations of point of sale terminals, RFID readers, and additional data capture devices.
- The present invention takes advantage of the processing power inherent in a typical RFID reader to implement an RFID reader controller that manages both the operation and communication of an RFID reader, and the operation and communication of other data input and communication devices used in conjunction with the RFID reader. According to one aspect of the invention, an RFID reader suitably includes a controller operating under the direction of controller software providing a centralized communications interface for the RFID reader and various input devices that may be used with the reader. Suitably, the communications interface includes a number of individual modules for different input devices, with a variety of different modules and a number of different interface ports provided so as to support the use of a number of different combinations of input devices, with devices being able to be added and removed as desired without signification modification or reprogramming of the controller. Suitably, the controller software mediates communication between the various input devices and a data station. The controller software is suitably implemented in layers, so that a change to or substitution of a data input device, or use of the RFID reader operated by the controller with a different data station, can be achieved with relatively simple software changes that require adaptation only for the changed device, and not for the devices that are continued in use.
- Preferably, a substantial proportion of the processing needed to prepare a transaction entry is conducted by the controller software, with the data station simply receiving data coordinated and formatted by the controller software.
- A more complete understanding of the present invention, as well as further features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following Detailed Description and the accompanying drawings.
-
FIG. 1 illustrates a point of sale terminal using an RFID reader coordinating transactions according to an aspect of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 illustrates additional details of the RFID reader used by the point of sale terminal ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 illustrates a system including a plurality point of sale stations using RFID readers according to an aspect of the present invention; -
FIG. 4 illustrates a warehouse control system using an RFID reader coordinating transactions according to an aspect of the present invention; and -
FIG. 5 illustrates a process of data gathering and coordination according to an aspect of the present invention. -
FIG. 1 illustrates aretail checkout station 100 operating according to an aspect of the present invention. Thecheckout station 100 includes a point ofsale terminal 102, suitably communicating with acentral database 104 storing information and providing services needed to manage a transaction, such as price and inventory information. The point ofsale terminal 102 suitably communicates with thedatabase 104 over a communication system such as alocal area network 106. - The
checkout station 100 also may suitably include a plurality of data input and communication devices. These devices may include a radio frequency identification (RFID) communication device, herein referred to as anRFID reader 108, as well as a variety of other data input and communication devices. In the present exemplary embodiment, the devices include abar code scanner 110, a security tag deactivator 1112, and apayment processing interface 114. TheRFID reader 108 communicates with RFID tags in order to conduct transactions. TheRFID reader 108 has significant processing power, enabling it to process the large amounts of data generated by typical RFID communication. An RFID reader typically engages in many interrogations of RFID tags within range, and receives many responses from these tags. The interrogations and responses may occur at a rate on the order of hundreds of times per second, generating large volumes of data to be processed and analyzed. Thereader 108 operates under the control of areader controller 116. The processing needed to carry out coordination between data input and communication devices such as thedevices terminal 102, represents a negligible addition to the processing needed to carry out RFID communication. Therefore, the processing hardware implemented in thecontroller 116 can be expected to be sufficient to carry out RFID communication as well as any additional data coordination and communication functions needed to perform retail transactions at thestation 100. Specific hardware and software implementing thecontroller 116 is described in greater detail below. - When a retail transaction is to be initiated, a user makes an appropriate input at the point of
sale terminal 102, suitably using auser interface 118. Theuser interface 118 suitably includes akeypad 120 and display 122. Thedisplay 122 may be a touchscreen. Typically, a transaction includes a series of data entries, an indication that the data entries are completed, computation and presentation of a total, processing of payment, and closing of the transaction. - Whenever a data entry is expected that may be furnished with information from a reader, the point of
sale terminal 102 sends an appropriate indication to thereader 108. Thereader controller 116 communicates with the various input devices in order to receive information. Thereader controller 116 coordinates the information received and builds a transaction entry, which is then furnished to theterminal 102. Theterminal 102 adds the entry to a transaction, acknowledges the transaction entry, and awaits further data, such as user inputs or additional data entries from thereader 108. - To take an example of a transaction that may be conducted using a reader such as the
reader 108, suppose that a user initiates a retail transaction. The terminal 102 sends a signal to thereader 108 that it is awaiting data entry, and thereader controller 116 receives and coordinates incoming data from various devices. For example, suppose that a customer presents threeidentical shirts 124A-124C, bearing RFID tags 126A-126C, respectively. - Each RFID tag returns RFID information in response to an interrogation. This RFID information suitably includes a unique RFID identifier, and may also include relatively comprehensive product information, including descriptive information and a product identifier that can be used to retrieve stored product information, such as price information, and can also be correlated with product identifiers taken from other data input devices. For example, the RFID information returned by each of the RFID tags 126A-126C may include a universal product code (UPC) corresponding to the code appearing on a bar coded tag on the shirt.
- Typically, the
reader 108 reads whatever tags are within range, and may therefore inadvertently identify tags that are not being presented at thestation 100. In the present exemplary case, theshirts 124A-124C also includebar codes 128A-128C, encoding the UPC information associated with each of the shirts. Thecontroller 116 correlates the information received from the RFID tags against bar code information scanned and decoded by thebar code scanner 110. Suitably, thecontroller 116 receives the information from the RFID tags 126A-126C, establishes that three products with unique RFID codes have been presented, and identifies the UPC codes associated with the RFID codes. Thecontroller 116 may then issue a request for a user to scan the products, suitably identifying the products by name or description. This request may be issued to the point ofsale terminal 102 for presentation to a user. Alternatively, thecontroller 116 may simply wait for the products to be scanned during the normal course of the transaction, with additional products potentially being detected and scanned before scanning of all of theshirts 124A-124C is completed. - As the
shirts 124A-124C are scanned, thecontroller 116 receives the information from thebar code scanner 110 and correlates the universal product code information received from the bar code against that received from the RFID tags. Thecontroller 116 establishes that the UPC information of interest appears on as many bar codes as on RFID tags, and accepts the products as having been presented for entry into the transaction. If matching occurrences of bar codes or other data entries corresponding to the RFID information are not received, the controller suitably issues an alert to the point ofsale terminal 102 for presentation to a user. Such an alert may suitably be issued only when transaction entries have been completed, because RFID information for products may be received as soon as the products are brought within range of thereader 108, but data from other sources, such as thebar code reader 110, may be received at any time during the transaction. - Once the
controller 116 has established that the products have been properly presented, it provides the information taken from the RFID tags to the point ofsale terminal 102 to prepare a transaction entry. The entry may suitably include product identifier and description information, as well as timestamp information and synchronization codes. The point ofsale terminal 102 is assured of the reliability of the information when it is received, and uses the information to perform whatever additional functions are necessary. For example, the point ofsale terminal 102 may perform price lookups by consulting theserver 102 in order to retrieve price data to complete the transaction. - As an alternative or in addition to simply reading information from the RFID tags and using the information to prepare a transaction entry, the
controller 116 may use the RFID identifier or product code to retrieve product information, for example, from aproduct database 130 hosted on theserver 102. Thecontroller 116 may retrieve price information if desired, and may also use the RFID identifier for a product to look up product information. In some cases, the RFID tag affixed to a product may simply include an identifier that can be used as an index to retrieve product information. In such cases, thecontroller 116 retrieves the needed information and uses it to prepare the transaction entry. - In preparing a transaction entry, the
controller 116 may use additional information beyond product information. Such information includes rules for treatment of transactions. For example, a customer may be entitled to one free item with the purchase of a specified quantity. In the case of the shirts presented here, a customer may be entitled to receive one shirt free with the purchase of two. Thecontroller 116 is able to consult a set of rules, that may be conveniently stored in arules database 132 hosted on theserver 104, and evaluate a transaction entry in light of the rules. In many cases, rules may affect multiple transaction entries considered together. - For example, a purchase of two shirts in the example presented here may entitle the customer to a free shirt and a discount on neckties. The
controller 116 may suitably operate so as to send the proper information to the terminal 102 based on the transaction as a whole. That is, once all transaction entries have been completed, thecontroller 116 may evaluate the transaction based on promotional rules and identify product combinations meeting conditions set by the rules. Thecontroller 116 identifies and evaluates the product combinations and determines whether or not promotions are applicable, and provides to the terminal 102 updated transaction information based on the identified product combinations. Thecontroller 116 is also capable of sending updated transaction information to the terminal 102 as the transaction proceeds and without waiting for all transaction entries to be completed, as the conditions established by one rule or another are satisfied. Such operation by thecontroller 116 simplifies the programming needed for the terminal 102 or a similar point of sale system, because thecontroller 116 performs the analysis itself and transfers the information based on the result of the analysis to the terminal 102. - In the present example, for instance, the RFID information from the
tags 126A-126C may be read at the beginning of the transaction, but thebar codes 128A-128C may not all be scanned at the beginning of the transaction. Instead, it may happen that thebar codes bar code 132 affixed to anecktie 134 eligible for a discount is scanned, and information for the necktie entered into the transaction. As the transaction continues, thebar code 128C may be scanned. Thecontroller 116, on reviewing the transaction entries that have been made, will determine that the conditions for the free shirt and the discount on the necktie purchase have been met, and will update the transaction entries accordingly. - The
reader 108 also communicates with thesecurity tag deactivator 112, and can control the operation of thesecurity tag deactivator 112. Thereader 108 is able to sense the presence of RFID tags in its vicinity, and therefore can detect the presence of products at thestation 100. Thereader 108 can also determine if a transaction entry has been created corresponding to a product, and can inhibit thesecurity tag deactivator 112 from operating if an attempt is made to deactivate a security tag for a product if a transaction entry has not been prepared corresponding to that product. - Once all transaction entries have been completed, the point of
sale terminal 102 may suitably present a total to the user and present a request for payment. In the present example, payment is processed using thepayment processing interface 114. The terminal 102 communicates an instruction to thereader 108 to process the payment, and thereader 108 controls thepayment processing interface 114 and receives appropriate data from thepayment processing interface 114. For example, if payment is made using a credit card, thepayment processing interface 114 may be used to read the credit card and capture a customer signature. Thereader controller 116 may either validate the credit card, for example, by communicating with theserver 104 to transmit a validation request to a remote credit card processing center, or may alternatively pass the credit card and signature information to the point of sale terminal for processing. Upon validation of payment, the point ofsale terminal 102 suitably prepares an itemized receipt and communicates with theserver 104 to make appropriate transaction entries and inventory updates. - It will be recognized that numerous additional data input and communication devices may be used at
station 100, in conjunction with thereader 108. For example, various kinds of identification devices may be used, such as fingerprint or palm readers, iris or retinal readers, and other similar devices. Other examples of devices that may be used are inventory control devices, product recognition devices, such as camera based optical recognition units, and any number of data input and communication devices that may be used in such applications. One additional category of devices for which communication may be particularly advantageous is cellular telephones and similar devices increasingly used by consumers for communication and management of transactions and personal information. A cellular telephone or other device may be used by a consumer to store identification information to be used to tender payment for a transaction. The stored information may be transferred to a compatible device without a need for the user to manually enter the information at the time of transfer. Such devices are known in the art and are coming into increasing use, and thereader 108 may advantageously be equipped and programmed for communication with such a device. - As described in further detail below, the
reader 100 is suitably adapted to accommodate any number of devices, including software supporting a wide variety of optional devices, with standard connection interfaces. As also described below, software for thecontroller 116 may suitably be constructed so as to accommodate new or updated devices with relatively simple adaptations. - Only one point of
sale station 100 is illustrated here, but it will be recognized that multiple stations such as thestation 100 may be employed in a system using such stations, with RFID readers such as thereader 108 being used at each station to communicate with RFID tags in the vicinity of the station and to receive and coordinate data from other data input devices in use at the station. -
FIG. 2 illustrates additional details of theRFID reader 108 according to an aspect of the present invention. Thereader 108 includes anRFID communication unit 202. TheRFID communication unit 202 includes atransceiver 204, including atransmitter 206 and areceiver 208. TheRFID communication unit 202 also includes adownconversion unit 210, and an analog todigital converter 212. The components of theRFID communication unit 202 operate as known in the art to receive and digitize signals from RFID tags. - The
reader 108 also includes thecontroller 116. Thecontroller 116 includes aprocessor 214,high speed memory 216 andlong term memory 218. The components of thecontroller 116 communicate with one another and with theRFID communication unit 202 over abus 220. - The
reader 108 also includes a number ofdata ports 222A-222E, linked with thebus 220 and providing communication with data input devices that may be used with thereader 108, such as thedevices sale terminal 202, or other devices suitable for any suitable application consistent with the present invention. - The
processor 212,high speed memory 214 andlong term memory 216 are typical of those used in RFID readers, and provide sufficient processing power to manage the communication by thereader 108 and to process the data collected by, thereader 108. As is typical of RFID readers, thereader 108 communicates with RFID tags by transmitting a carrier signal and receiving responses from devices within range. The carrier signal is transmitted, and responses received, at a rate on the order of hundreds of times per second, and the controller receives and interprets this data to identify and receive information from devices from which responses are received. - The
controller 116 operates under the control of various software modules, suitably hosted on thelong term storage 216 and transferred tohigh speed memory 214 for execution by theprocessor 212 as needed. The software modules suitably includedevice interface modules 240A-240D, adata coordination module 242, and a datastation interface module 244. - In the exemplary embodiment illustrated here, the
module 240A is an RFID reader interface and control module, themodule 240B is a bar code scanner interface module, themodule 240C is a security tag deactivation module, and themodule 240D is a payment processing interface module. - The
modules 240A-240D, themodule 242, and themodule 244 may be implemented so as to essentially form layers, so that a change affecting one layer can be accommodated with changes only to the affected layer. For example, if such an arrangement is used, and if theRFID reader 108 is used with the point ofsale terminal 102, thebar code scanner 110, thesecurity tag deactivator 112, and thepayment processing interface 114, and thebar code scanner 110 is replaced with an improved model, themodule 240B may be changed without any need to change the other modules. - The
module 242 suitably mediates data and communication received from themodules 240A-240C and provides the data to themodule 244. Themodule 244 in turn suitably supplies data and communication in a format adapted for a data station such as the point ofsale terminal 102. If a new terminal is substituted for the terminal 102, themodule 244 can be changed to accommodate it, but the other modules do not need to be changed in order to accommodate the new terminal. - It will be recognized that one or more readers similar to the
reader 108 may be used in numerous different applications. As an additional example,FIG. 3 illustrates retailtransaction processing system 300, implementing using a plurality ofRFID readers 302A-302C according to an aspect of the present invention. Thereaders 302A-302C are operated in connection withretail checkout stations 304A-304C, respectively. Thecheckout stations 304A-304C include point ofsale terminals 306A-306C, respectively, with each of thestations 304A-304C including various additional data entry devices communicating with the reader used by the station. For example, thestations 304A-304C may suitably includescanners 308A-308C, security tag deactivators 310A-310C, and credit/debit card readers 312A-312C, respectively. Thereaders 302A-302C andcheckout stations 304A-304C may suitably operate in way similar to those discussed above in connection withFIGS. 1 and 2 . The use of a plurality of readers such as thereaders 304A-304C allows for cooperative operation between readers. For example, if thereader 302A is experiencing a high workload and thereader 302C is experiencing a low workload, a portion of the processing load of thereader 304A may be passed to thereader 302C. Thereaders 302A-302C may suitably communicate with acentral server 314, which provides access to information, such as adatabase 316 and a rules table 318. Theserver 314 may also suitably host areader control module 320. Thereader control module 320 may receive workload information from thevarious readers 302A-302C and manage workload distribution between readers when needed. Alternatively, thereaders 302A-302C may communicate between themselves and manage cooperative sharing of workload without using areader control module 320 as an intermediary. -
FIG. 4 illustrates awarehouse control system 400 implemented using a plurality ofRFID readers 402A-402C according to an aspect of the present invention. Thesystem 400 controls goods stored in, and transported into and out of, awarehouse 403. - The
readers doors reader 402C is a mobile reader mounted on aforklift 406. All of the readers communicate with awarehouse management server 408. Thereaders reader 402A may operate to detect RFID tags affixed to goods brought within the vicinity of thedoor 404A. Thereader 402A may also receive data from authentication devices, such as anidentification card reader 410, akeypad 412, and afingerprint reader 414. Suppose that thereader 402A detects anRFID tag 415 affixed to acontainer 416 containing goods stored in the warehouse. Thereader 402A suitably examines a door control interface for thedoor 404A in order to make sure that thedoor 404A is closed, and makes sure that thedoor 404A is armed so that an alert will be issued, such as by sounding an alarm, if thedoor 404A is opened before thedoor 404A is disarmed. Thereader 402A communicates withwarehouse management server 408 to determine if thecontainer 416 is authorized for removal. Thereader 402A also receives data from devices such as theidentification card reader 410 and either thekeypad 412 or thefingerprint reader 414 to identify an employee accompanying thecontainer 416 and to authenticate the identity of the employee. Thereader 402A may also operate an entry andexit reporting station 418 to receive an input from an employee indicating that thecontainer 416 is being removed from thewarehouse 403. Thereader 402A then disarms thedoor 404A and prepares a report for theserver 408, identifying thecontainer 416, indicating the time of removal and thedoor 404A through which thecontainer 416 was removed, and identifying the employee reporting removal of the goods. Thereader 402A receives and correlates data from a number of disparate data input devices and prepares a single report for theserver 408. As noted above with respect toFIG. 3 , the readers used in thesystem 400 may be designed to share workload, with management of such sharing being accomplished through direct communication between the readers, or through an intermediary, such as theserver 408. -
FIG. 5 illustrates aprocess 500 of receiving, correlation, and management of data according to an aspect of the present invention. Atstep 502, RFID tag information is received by an RFID reader from one or more RFID tags within range. The reader may be one of a plurality of readers used in an installation. The tag information suitably includes an RFID tag identifier for each device, and may also include additional information, such as descriptive and identifying information for an entity with which each device is associated. The entity may include, for example, a product to which an RFID tag is affixed, or an employee holding an RFID identification card. - At
step 504, the tag information is used to construct an information element identifying the entity with which the device is associated. Construction of the information element may be performed by using the RFID identifier to retrieve associated information, by using descriptive and identifying information stored in and received from the RFID identifier, or both. Atstep 506, information from other data input devices is received and correlated with the information received from the RFID tag. To take one example, the information may be information in another form for a product bearing an RFID tag, such as a bar code also affixed to the product, so that scanning of the bar code establishes that a product whose RFID tag is detected is present at a particular point of sale station for a transaction using that station. To take another example, the information may be identifying information for an employee authorized to transport goods whose presence has been detected. Atstep 508, appropriate data entries are prepared and transferred to a recipient data processing device. Atstep 510, additional data inputs are received and actions taken by the RFID reader in order to manage transactions and events. For example, an RFID reader may receive inputs from a credit card reader in order to process payment for a transaction, and may update sales and inventory information on a server. To take another example, an RFID reader may receive an exit report for the removal of goods, disarm an exit door, and update an exit log and an inventory file for a warehouse. Atstep 512, whenever the RFID reader is experiencing an excessive workload and unused processing capacity is available at other readers, workload redistribution is performed in order to balance the workload across the readers. Atstep 514, when changes are made to existing data input devices with which an RFID reader communicates are made, or new data input devices are added for communicating to a reader, appropriate software changes are made to software modules managing the reader's communication with the data input devices. Atstep 516, when the reader is used with a new or changed data station, for example, when a data station is upgraded, a software module mediating communication between the reader and the data station is modified or replaced, as needed. - While the present invention is disclosed in the context of aspects of presently preferred embodiments, it will be recognized that a wide variety of implementations may be employed by persons of ordinary skill in the art consistent with the above discussion and the claims which follow below.
Claims (18)
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Also Published As
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EP1895460A2 (en) | 2008-03-05 |
CN101165736A (en) | 2008-04-23 |
JP2008059579A (en) | 2008-03-13 |
EP1895460A3 (en) | 2008-05-28 |
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